We reviewed 267 albums in 2025, Like in 2024, we moved away from death and black metal and focused on the more experimental and post-metal artists. Thrash metal and grindcore remained on our radars and we examined the occasional metalcore and deathcore album, though these genres are of negligible interest to us.
Scream Blast Repeat’s core purpose is to find the darker forms of heavy music while not forgetting the exhilaration of technical metal genres. But this is harder to do with each passing year. It seems that everything that can be pioneered has already happened. Can we expect extra strings on guitars or lower tunings? Are there new vocal techniques waiting to be invented? Will speed levels go beyond the blast beat? Where are the new sub-genres? More importantly, how will the deception of AI intrude onto the music we love?
The metrics do not support the idea that metal or rock music is in the ascendancy for today’s generation of digital listeners. If you ignore Linkin Park, there is only one metal band in the top 100 streamed artists in the world, and that’s Metallica at number 92. Where are the next generation of metal groups to replace them? But maybe this is the wrong question. Perhaps this is a good thing. Now that the mainstream is no longer limited to a small number of media, today’s devolved musical eco-system allows us to listen to the music we like without relying on the small pool of artists fed to us by a radio controller or television programmer. The algorithm that noted a listener’s preference for Metallica will recommend other bands in the thrash metal genre. Everything is available at the click of a button or the swipe of a screen once you’ve found your niche.
The album is in danger of dying out as a structured piece of art. With AI deceptions infiltrating Spotify playlists and attention spans reducing thanks to the relentless march of TikTok, we stand defiant and celebrate the glory of the album as the ultimate listening journey.
These are the Scream Blast Repeat top 50 albums of 2025…
50. Soulfly – Chama
49. Meatwound – Macho
48. Wren – Black Rain Falls
47. Pupil Slicer – Fleshwork
46. Spiritbox – Tsunami Sea
45. Imperial Triumphant – Goldstar
44. Paradise Lost – Ascension
43. Agriculture – The Spiritual Sound
42. Grief Ritual – Collapse
41. Between the Buried and Me – The Blue Nowhere
40. Shivered – Chains
39. Rioghan – Kept
38. Sunniva – Hypostasis
37. Defacement – Doomed
36. Cradle of Filth – The Screaming of the Valkyries
35. EYES – Spinner
34. Cancer – Inverted World
33. Alien Weaponry – Te Rā
32. Tiktaalika – Gods of Pangaea
31. Acceptance – Crucifixion of Orchids
30. Sanguisugabogg – Aftermath
29. Chestcrush – ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ
28. King Parrot – A Young Person’s Guide To
27. Green Carnation – A Dark Poem, Part I: The Shores of Melancholia
26. Vacuous – In His Blood
25. Wode – Uncrossing The Keys
What we said at the time: “Wode take the spirit of black metal, the pomp of heavy metal, and the bloodlust of early thrash, and do it with no apologies… Those that prefer the group’s early material will be glad they kept their corpse paint on until the end.”
Genre: Black metal
Country: England
Released: 03/10/2025
Label: 20 Buck Spin
Read the original SBR review of Uncrossing The Keys here.
24. Novembers Doom – Major Arcana
What we said at the time: “Powerful chorus rituals that you can repeat with your chest out are as natural to this band as blood to a vampire… You might not have an ecclesiastical robe, but you’ll need one after opening your arms to the heavens and lowering your head… Paradise Lost’s new record is a strong effort, but it’s not as enthralling as Major Arcana.”
Genre: Melodic death-doom metal
Country: USA
Released: 19/09/2025
Label: Prophecy Productions
Read the original SBR review of Major Arcana here.
23. Scour – Gold
What we said at the time: “Featuring members of Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Pig Destroyer and Misery Index, you’d assume Scour would go hard on the grindcore side of things. They don’t. This is satanic black metal… You can feel the smoke at the back of your eyes and taste the sweat at the end of your nose as you swing your heard in time to the action.”
Genre: Black metal
Country: USA
Released: 21/02/2025
Label: Housecore Records/Nuclear Blast
Read the original SBR review of Gold here.
22. Messa – The Spin
What we said at the time: “We’ve said it before, but Messa’s art is what Siouxsie and the Banshees would sound like if you asked the classic lineup to record an LP with heavy guitars… You dare not contemplate lost lovers or those that departed from your life. But maybe that’s what you need to do. Here’s the music to unlock those dormant feelings.”
Genre: Doom metal/Progressive rock
Country: Italy
Released: 11/04/2025
Label: Metal Blade
Read the original SBR review of The Spin here.
21. Byzantine – Harbingers
What we said at the time: “The audio engineering is near perfect, yet Harbingers still radiates with the human agency of musicians motivated by a love of rock and metal. It’s an art they create with their own bare hands and raging hearts, and it hits the mark on every listen.”
Genre: Progressive groove metal
Country: USA
Released: 13/06/2025
Label: Metal Blade
Read the original SBR review of Harbingers here.
20. Coroner – Dissonance Theory
What we said at the time: “It’s true that they’re not a million miles away from Megadeth in peak form when they make the swerving riffs serve the vocal lines. This is a band that understand how to invoke a sense of dramatic tension in their music without complicating things.”
Genre: Technical thrash metal
Country: Switzerland
Released: 17/10/2025
Label: Century Media
Read the original SBR review of Dissonance Theory here.
19. All Men Unto Me – Requiem
What we said at the time: “Those that fell in love with the Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter (aka Lingua Ignota) in 2023 will be quick to add this to their playlist… There’s a colourful felicity to this album underneath the dark meditation, but you’re always on edge and waiting for your nerves to shatter.”
Genre: Dark avant-garde
Country: Scotland
Released: 27/06/2025
Label: The Larvarium
Read the original SBR review of Requiem here.
18. Warbringer – Wrath and Ruin
What we said at the time: “It’s safe to say that the legendary thrash metal bands of the 1980s can retire in the knowledge that their custodians from this century will keep it alive… Like the last Enforced record, the adrenaline levels are dangerous.”
Genre: Thrash metal
Country: USA
Released: 14/03/2025
Label: Napalm Records
Read the original SBR review of Wrath and Ruin here.
17. Ba’al – The Fine Line Between Heaven and Here
What we said at the time: “Ba’al have a high tolerance for melody in their intimidating soundscapes; they also appreciate the power of contrasting dynamics… Much of this is a black metal frenzy punctuated by violins and ear-splitting screams. You might lose track of the different sections on first listen, but it’s easy to immerse yourself in the drama.”
Genre: Post-black metal
Country: England
Released: 18/07/2025
Label: Road to Masochist Records
Read the original SBR review of The Fine Line Between Heaven and Here in the link here.
16. Moths – Septem
What we said at the time: “As an album that invokes a cabaret of lustful vampires in gentile clothing, Septem does not allow you to switch off for a single second… We might lament that rock and metal prefer conservatism to dynamism these days, but Moths are ready to challenge your scepticism.”
Genre: Avant-doom rock
Country: Puerto Rico
Released: 01/08/2025
Label: Self-released
Read the original SBR review of Septem here.
15. The Callous Daoboys – I Don’t Want to See You in Heaven
What we said at the time: “To say they pack many things into tight spaces on this record is an understatement. But you’ll find plenty of room to breathe. The riffs are sharper than the last album. Chromatic patterns and the usual screeching chords among the chugging action provide most of the sustenance, but the start-stop nature of the music leaves your body in a state of confusion.”
Genre: Mathcore
Country: USA
Released: 16/05/2025
Label: MNRK Heavy
Read the original SBR review of I Don’t Want to See You in Heaven here.
14. Rwake – The Return of Magik
What we said at the time: “The timbres of this music are multi-faceted. An underlying trauma bubbles in the background, but the forces of light (in this case melody) are ready to combat it… There’s always a heroic rock element to the action here. That’s what makes it a pleasure to absorb.”
Genre: Progressive sludge metal
Country: USA
Released: 14/03/2025
Label: Relapse Records
Read the original SBR review of The Return of Magik here.
13. Blindfolded and Led to the Woods – The Hardest Thing About Being God Is That No One Believes Me
What we said at the time: “Think Strapping Young Lad covering Today is the Day with Deadguy at the control desk. This music is too intense to allow the listener the luxury of a wandering mind. Blast beats and foaming guitar intervals rip at your facial muscles every time you try to zone out. And, of course, the technical arrangements are stupendous.”
Genre: Extreme metal
Country: New Zealand
Released: 10/10/2025
Label: Prosthetic Records
Read the original SBR review of The Hardest Thing About Being God Is That No One Believes Me here.
12. Inner Cabala – We Are Solitude
What we said at the time: “If this is post-metal, it’s a sub-stream that shares little in common with the roster of artists on Neurot Recordings. And when these boys lock into a grinding metal riff, they do it like Gojira… It sits at the intersection of anthemic rock and sophisticated prog metal. What’s not to like?
Genre: Progressive post-metal
Country: International (Europe)
Released: 04/04/2025
Label: Self-released
Read the original review of We Are Solitude here.
11. lowheaven – Ritual Decay
What we said at the time: “Like Cult of Luna and Isis, lowheaven don’t do riffs, but they specialise in ugly noise when the mood calls them into an incandescent rage. Atonal chords and high-pitched screams trespass into a dark tunnel of doom metal… The way they jump between high and low volumes is like The Pixies under the influence of Today is the Day.”
Genre: Post-metal
Country: Canada
Released: 29/08/2025
Label: MNRK Heavy
Read the original review of Ritual Decay here.
10. Igorrr – Amen
What we said at the time: “When we classify something as “different”, we often mean it in an underhand way, implying that it’s too unorthodox to understand yet too intriguing to dismiss as nonsensical. Igorrr cannot be accused of the latter even if he celebrates the former. Underneath the beats and swerves, is a man who loves his metal music.”
Genre: Avant-garde metal
Country: France
Released: 19/09/2025
Label: Metal Blade
Read the original review of Amen here.
9. Rivers of Nihil – Rivers of Nihil
What we said at the time: “A pervading sense of agony permeates through this record, but it’s an agony born of a desperation to survive… Much of this record feels like a progressive death metal rhapsody. That may seem overly ambitious, but Rivers of Nihil have the materials to achieve what they set out to do, and nothing can hold them back.”
Genre: Progressive death metal
Country: USA
Released: 30/05/2025
Label: Metal Blade
Read the original review of Rivers of Nihil here.
8. Deadguy – Near-Death Travel Services
What we said at the time: “There’s no need to worry about unexpected offbeats or start-stop frustrations on this record. Deadguy are, after all, a hardcore band… Why would you want to go back to overproduced extreme metal again once you’ve absorbed something as agitated and as pure as ‘Knife Sharpener’? It’s not about melting the face of the listener but making them wake up to the world around them.”
Genre: Hardcore/Mathcore
Country: USA
Released: 27/06/2025
Label: Relapse Records
Read the original review of Near-Death Travel Services here.
7. Dawnwalker – The Between
What we said at the time: “The sacred angels and their excommunicated brethren stand off against each other in the heavy parts, with light and dark wrestling like two equal creatures… Dawnwalker show how doom metal can be hopeful with a composer’s mindset. A belief in the radiant light as the way forward is essential to this realisation.”
Genre: Avant-garde metal
Country: England
Released: 24/10/2025
Label: Self-released
Read the original review of The Between here.
6. Dawn of Ouroboros – Bioluminescence
What we said at the time: “Most of Bioluminescence is a strawberry picnic in a post-apocalyptic wasteland… You’d expect your brain to reject this music with so many contrasting styles dragging you in different directions. Many artists struggle to resolve this, but Dawn of Ouroboros mastered it on their last album and make it look seamless here.”
Genre: Blackened progressive metal
Country: USA
Released: 07/03/2025
Label: Prosthetic Records
Read the original review of Bioluminescence here.
5. Fallujah – Xenotaph
What we said at the time: “The listener is never an agent in control of their senses when listening to Fallujah, but that’s the mysterious power of their art. They might bludgeon you in one passage and then relieve you with a refreshing glow of warmth in the next. The illuminous shapes appear before your eyes in the closing title-track like neon squares imprinted on your retinas. It’s easy to get lost in this composition if you switch off for even one second, but that’s because of its immersive qualities.”
Genre: Progressive death metal
Country: USA
Released: 13/06/2025
Label: Nuclear Blast
Read the original review of Xenotaph here.
4. Testament – Para Bellum
What we said at the time: “There’s no reason to expect big things from album number fourteen. So why have they unleashed a beast of a record at this late stage of their career?… What happened to this band? Did they decide that thrash metal was not heavy enough for them? This is more like At the Gates but with the ferocity of Immortal. The energy is as inspiring as any young band starting out on their debut record.”
Genre: Thrash metal
Country: USA
Released: 10/10/2025
Label: Nuclear Blast
Read the original review of Para Bellum here.
3. Employed to Serve – Fallen Star
What we said at the time: “Who remembers when metalcore was something to fear? This is how it should’ve evolved after Killswitch Engage… Knowing when to unleash mayhem and when to temper it should never be a fifty-fifty equilibrium. Employed to Serve are wise to slant this eighty-five percent towards the former. It’s an intoxicating experience you’ll want to repeat.”
Genre: Groove metal/Hardcore
Country: England
Released: 25/04/2025
Label: Spinefarm Records
Read the original review of Fallen Star here.
2. Indifferent Engine – Speculative Fiction
What we said at the time: “Speculative Fiction is not an enigma. There are no puzzles to solve. You might not understand the exact reason, but its momentum is too powerful and persuasive to resist, like when you know that something feels right and will work out in the long run. Yet this LP is not afraid to rock… Is this art-rock or post-hardcore? Who knows? Who cares? It’s what Indifferent Engine intend it to be.”
Genre: Post-hardcore/Progressive rock
Country: England
Released: 30/05/2025
Label: Church Road Records
Read the original review of Speculative Fiction here.
1. Today is the Day – Never Give In
What we said at the time: “Compared to 1994’s Willpower, much of this record is a million miles away from the extreme noise rock that made Today is the Day a force in the underground… If this is alternative rock, it’s a harrowing interpretation that’ll make you tear the hair from your head with calloused fingers. The Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter could benefit from a listen to this as she plans her next album for Lingua Ignota’s fanbase… Today is the Day are seldom at the beginning of the conversation about avant-garde metal, but they’re never left out either. They ought to be higher in the family tree.”
Genre: Dark avant-garde metal
Country: USA
Released: 03/10/2025
Label: SuperNova Records
Read the original review of Never Give In here.
